


Shadow reader

by Fiannalover



Category: Dragalia Lost (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, If you believe this is a ship thing I'll personally kill you, Late Night Conversations, Late Night Writing, Siblings bonding time, You've been warned, midnight snack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 15:11:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18662914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiannalover/pseuds/Fiannalover
Summary: Once again, Alex's sleep cycle betrayed her.Well, staying in bed won't help her.





	Shadow reader

“Good night, Alex. See you tomorrow.”

Elisanne closed the door of Alex’s room, leaving the assassin on her own for good. Life on the Halidom was one she had gotten used to by now, even if she kept being surprised by the things that happened on the day-to-day life there. And now, after another fulfilling day, it was time to rest.

… Once again, she found out sleep was hard to come.

Too many nights with missions left her unused to proper sleep, she supposed. Even if it was slightly better here, she remained unused to it. Elisanne’s room was right next to her, so she could ask her for help, but...

After turning around in bed for a bit, and pacing around in her bedroom, Alex just accepted that this was gonna be another sleepless night. And so, changing her clothes from her sleepwear back to her usual outfit, she decided she might as well make use of this by patrolling a bit. Wouldn’t hurt, that’s for sure.

* * *

Sneaking through the castle, Alex remained close to the shadows of the castle, blending in near perfectly. She has already learned that the place remained alive even deep into the night, no matter the day. The sylvan dancer who practiced under the night sky, and the… Affectionate gaze of her Dragon protector. The girl from Hinamoto who sometimes still had trouble with the different timezones. Cleo, already preparing something for the next day of meals. Some people coming late from a night of drinking.

Enough people took the castle as their home for there to be life in it all the time.

Something, however, catched her attention. A shadow seemed to dart around the corner, just a faint hint of blue seen, clearly skilled in darting around unnoticed. She readied her dagger, and leaped after it, turning around the corner quickly, ready for a fight if it was nece-

“Alex?”

She spun around immediately, pointing her dagger to the voice’s direction in reflex. The assassin hardened her gaze, only to immediately soften in surprise as she noticed it was just Euden, in his sleepwear, with a plate of cookies and a cup of milk on his hands.

She then added some concealed panic to that surprise as she realized she pointed a weapon to him.

“Are you all right? Were you chasing after someone?” Her king asked, completely unaffected by her accidental threat other than the initial surprise. “I assure you, the Halidom is perfectly safe right now.”

“But… I just saw someone running that way… Also, you’re very calm about how I just pointed a dagger at your face.”

“That person was a friend, don’t worry. Sleep hasn’t come for me yet, so I thought I’d grab a snack and then tire myself a bit, and they offered to escort me to the kitchen.” Euden explained. “They’re… Really just a bit lonely, at times. Also, you’re… Not the first one who did that to me.” He added, a bit exasperated. “I suppose you’re also struggling a bit with sleep, today?”

Alex sheathed her dagger upon hearing Euden’s explanation, content enough with it, even if the people Euden took into the castle were… Certainly of an interesting variety, herself included. But still. “Yes, I am. I have grown too used to working at night, I suppose. And… I didn’t feel like bothering Elisanne about it again this time.”

“She would not mind helping you, I’m more than sure.”

“I know, but… I already ask her for help too much. I’d rather not do so for this, right now.”

Euden thinked a bit, almost taking his hand to his chin in order to do so, only to remember the food he is holding. “Well, if that is the case, why don’t you join me? We could chat a bit in my room until we are both tired. How does that sound?”

“I’m… Not sure…”

“Alex, would you leave your King alone, unarmed, in the middle of the night?”

“... That was an unexpectedly mean move of your part, Euden.” She flatly replied.

* * *

“So, how have you been recently, Alex?”

Small talk should, by all right, be rather annoying in this situation, but the assassin didn’t mind it that much right now. All considered, Euden was the person she was the most comfortable with in the Halidom, other than Elisanne. She couldn’t explain why, but something about him brought forth a nostalgic warmth, for something she never had.

“Pretty well, truly. The orphanage I checked remains trustworthy.” She replied, happy with the children’s safety. “Besides that… Vice kinda recruited me into the kitchen team.”

Euden failed at holding back a chuckle in answer to that. “He did?”

“Yes. Said something about how I seemed lost and directionless, and asked me to start chopping vegetables. My cooking isn’t nearly as good as his, but… It feels nice to be helping in the smaller things there, I suppose.”

“That’s nice to hear. Actually, it’s exactly what I made him do once he arrived.”

“Really?”

“Yup! He showed up from nowhere, asked me if I had any targets for him, and I hired him just so he wouldn’t be be hired by anyone else.” Euden recalled, a smile coming to his face as he remembered. “I then just threw him in the kitchen so he’d have some distractions. It worked well, if he tried to recruit you for the same reasons.”

“Huh. Well, I guess it worked, then. He’s… A nice person, oddly enough. And, it’s nice to be working on something other than just fiend-killing and escorting missions. There is… Some comfort to being part of a place’s routine.” She said, admitting words she didn’t quite think she’d ever say, specially outside of the Church.

“That’s good! I’m glad to hear that, Alex.” Euden replied, with a smile Alex couldn’t quite see, but she knew was there. “You could ask Vice to join his patrolling, if you want. He and Jurota, who I was talking to just before you arrived, alternate between watching over the Halidom every night… No matter how much I tell them it’s unnecessary. Aoi helps too but she’s… A bit louder.”

Remembering the time Aoi came into the kitchen after Vice, she could see what he meant. From what rare occasions she had seen Jurota, he was quiet and nice enough. “That does sound nice. Thank you, Euden. I’ll ask Vice tomorrow.”

Silence returned after that. He broke the silence at first, so Alex decided that, this time, she should do it back. “What are you going to do, then, once you return to your room?”

“Oh! Well, some ideas started showing up, so I’ll light up a lamp and try to write a bit of my book before I get tired enough to sleep.”

Surprise returned to Alex’s face at that moment, as the prince revealed one of his hobbies to her. “You write? This is the first time I heard of that.”

“Yes, I do! Zethia used to critique it for me, but… Well, only Notte does so now.”

Alex felt sorry for even bringing the subject up, as silence filled the hallway due to the weight of these words. Right now, they were almost by his room. She was about to apologize for bringing up the subject, before he interrupted her.

“Well, we both remain sleepless, so… Maybe you’d like to read a bit of what I have done?”

She couldn’t help but blink in surprise of his offer, really. “But… Only Zethia and Notte have ever done so, no? Are you sure about offering that to me?”

“Yes. I can’t explain it quite well but… Somehow, you remind me of her, just a bit. I can’t explain why, but you do.” He said, carefully opening the door to his room. “So, what do you say?”

She pondered over it a bit. This was something decently big he was offering her…

“Sure. I’d like that.”

Together, they went into the room, ready to see for how long the stories would keep them both awake.


End file.
